Rail-joint.



PATBNTED SEPT. 17, 1907 J. E YORK. RAIL JOINT.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 1. 1005.

FIG. 3(

INVENTOR:

)MJ l 16.

JAMES E. YORK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed July 1, 1905. Serial No. 267,916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Limits E. Yonx, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide certain improvements in rail joints andties which provide a firm bearing for the ends of the rails, which canbe very cheaply manufactured of old rails, and which have various otheradvantages referred to in detail hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a joint showing the ti es incross-section; Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the joint on the line2-2; Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a rail through the tie fasteningsshowing the lower part of the tie in elevation. Fig. 4 illustrates amodification.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the ties A arepreferably of the approximately I-beam shape shown, and which may bereadily manufactured from old rails by my improved system of lateralrolling described in my application No. 236,354 filed December 10, 1904.The ends of the rails B are connected by means of fish plates 0, flangedor otherwise, and of any usual or suitable shape, the center of thejoint being between the two ties. The rails may be connected with thecross ties in any suitable manner, as, for instance, that shown in Fig.3, where a fastener E is provided, having a lug F fitting into atransverse groove Gr on the head of the cross tie, and held in place bymeans of a bolt H, such fastener having its tapered end overlapping thebase of the rail.

According to the present practice, the fish plates 0 are usually reliedupon to support the abutting ends of the adjacent rails, such fishplates being ordinarily of sufficient length to rest upon the twoadjacent ties. As is well-known, however, the ends of the rails aresubjected to a very heavy stress in use, which results in the downwardbending of the adjacent ends, and a rapid flattening of one or both ofsuch ends. It has been the usual practice to tamp the adjoining ties tocompensate for this depression of the rail joint; but as the wear anddeflection become excessive, tamping becomes no longer effective to truethe joint. It is necessary in such cases to replace the rail or remove apart of its end.

According'to my present invention, I aim to prevent to a large extentthis springing and flattening of the rail end by providing a support forthe rail joint, which is preferably so proportioned that each joint willhave the same bending moment as the rail itself, such support beingdesigned to avoid a relative movement of the abutting ends of the rails,,as the car passes over them so that the wheels of the rolling stockpass from one rail to the next without bending the top bearing surfaceof one rail below the level of the next adjoining one, thus preventingthe excessive wear of the latter.

My invention also includes means for adjusting such support so that theprecise degree of rigidity may be given to the joint, and so that theslight wear which occurs in use may be easily and accurately compensatedfor without tamping the ties. The support is preferably formed to engagethe under faces of the two adjoining rail ends, and is preferablyconnected with. two adjacent ties, means being provided for adjustingthe support in a vertical direction relatively to the ties, such meanspreferably involvinga relative movement of the ties themselves toward orfrom each other.

In the drawings, I have shown certain modifications of my invention, thefirst of which I will describe with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. In thisconstruction, I provide a bridge or support D, which is connected withtwo adjacent cross ties A, and which at its middle engages the underfaces of the two rail ends B. The connection between the bridge D andties A is such that it permits a vertical adjustment of the bridge.Preferably such adjustment is provided for by forming inclined surfacesupon the ties and bridge, so that as the ties are moved toward eachother the bridge is raised. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the web of thebridge is provided at each end with a projecting portion L, which isslightly inclined upwardly, and provided with a hole through which afastening pin M may be passed. The tie A is provided with a hole Nslightly larger than the projecting portion L of the bridge, and alsohas an inclined face, as appears from Fig. 1. Also, the end portions ofthe lower side of the bridge D are provided with inclined faces 0, andcorresponding inclines P are formed on the lower flange of each tie uponwhich the inclined faces 0 of the bridge rest. The ends of the bridgeare fastened snugly in place by means of washers Q and R and the pin M,and by varying the thickness of the washers, the bridge may beaccurately adjusted in a vertical direction. The washers may be formedso that they are laterally detachable to permit their ready removal andreplacement. Any other means may be provided, however, for adjusting thebridge. Preferably the parts are so constructed that the bridge acts asa tension member for preventing the lateral separation of the two crossties, and also as a brace to prevent the lateral approach of such ties.

The bridge D may be economically constructed of an old rail, with thehead J thereof forming the lower edge of the bridge, and the originalbase K the upper edge thereof. Preferably the bridge is slightly archedon its upper surface, so that it engages the under side of the railsonly at or immediately adjacent to the joint.

In Fig. 4, I have illustrated a modified form of adjusting means, whichconsist of bolts S secured to the ends of the bridge by stirrups T, suchbolts passing through the webs of the cross ties, and being adjusted bynuts U, as shown.

In applying my improved rail joint, the bridge D is adjusted to suchposition that the ends of the rails are firmly supported thereby, suchadjustment being made by suitable washers Q and R, in connection withthe pin M, or by screwing up the nuts U to the desired extent. Duringsuch adjusting movement, the cross ties A in the construction shown willbe moved slightly toward each other, but other means of adjusting may beemployed which do not involve such movement. Preferably the bridge D isso proportioned that the bending moment of the jointis substantially thesame as that of the body of the rail. It the ordinary fish plates areused, such plates will be of suflieient strength to resist substantiallyonethird of the bending stress, and in this case I prefer to so form thebridge D that it will resist the remaining two-thirds of such stress. Itwill be understood, however, that such bridge may be so proportioned asto relieve the fish plates of any supporting action, in which case suchplates need only be employed for the purpose of resisting the lateralseparation of the rail ends. Should the ends of the rail be distortedfrom their true positions in any manner, as by being pressed down by therolling stock, the joint may be readily brought into true position byadjusting the bridge to compensate for the distortion. 'This may also bedone it the ballast has worked out from beneath the ties, although insuch case it is preferable to eventually retalnp the ties, using theadjusting means as a temporary expedient. It will be observed thateither rail may be raised by adjusting only one end of the bridge so asto incline it slightly at the central bearing point, thus enabling theslightest wear or flattening of either rail to be accurately compensatedfor.

I do not wish to be limited to the particular constructions herein shownand described, as many modi- Iications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. I

lhe pro vision of a transverse groove G is not claimed in the presentapplication, but it is not to be understood that 1 thereby waive myright to claim the same in a separate application.

What I claim is:

1. In a rail joint, the combination with two rails having abutting ends,of a bridge connected to two adjacent ties, and means for separatelyadjusting said ends.

2. In a rail joint, the combination of two rails having abutting ends, abridge supported at its ends and supporting the ends of said rails, andmeans for adjusting said bridge to move either of said rail-ends.

3. In a rail joint, the combination of two ties or the like, means forsupporting a rail connected with such ties, and means for verticallyadjusting said supporting means, acting by a relative horizontalmovement of said supporting means and said ties.

4. In a rail joint, the combination of two ties or the like,'n1eans forsupporting a rail connected with such ties, and means for verticallyadjusting said supporting means, acting to move said ties toward eachother.

5. A rail joint including a bridge, in combination with metal ties andmeans for attaching the end of the bridge to a tie, said meanspermitting vertical adjustment of said bridge.

(3. A rail joint including a bridge adapted to pass through suitableopenings in the ties.

7. A rail joint including in combination a bridge and a tie, the formerhaving an inclined projection and the latter having an opening, saidprojection adapted to pass through said opening and to be adjustedtherein to raise or lower the bridge.

8. A rail joint including in combination a bridge having at its end aninclined face 0, and a tie having an inclined portion P upon which saidinclined face 0 is adapted to rest, and means for adjusting said bridgetoward and from the tie, whereby it is lifted by the engagement of theinclines O and P.

9. A rail joint including a bridge vertically adjustable at its ends andarched so that its intermediate portion only engages under the ends ofthe rails.

10. A rail joint including a bridge having a central web and wider upperand lower edge portions, vertically adjustable at its ends and arched sothat its intermediate portion only engages under the ends of the rails.

11. A tie for use in connection with rail joints, having a web with anaperture N therein in combination with a bridge having an end passingthrough said aperture.

' In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in

